Solar or photovoltaic cells are electronic devices that convert solar energy into electricity by the photovoltaic effect. Individual photovoltaic cells are often electrically connected and encapsulated as photovoltaic modules, which have many applications. Photovoltaic modules generate a form of renewable electricity, and are therefore particularly useful in situations where electrical power from a grid is unavailable. Photovoltaic electricity is also increasingly deployed in grid-tied electrical systems.
Recent improvements to photovoltaic modules have resulted from the advent of thin film technologies. In particular, flexible amorphous photovoltaic modules eliminate the previous constraints of rigid substrates, and make possible the development of many new applications, including incorporation of photovoltaic modules into flexible support structures. Known laminated thin film photovoltaic systems are described in Assignee's co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/340,542, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
There is a continuing need for a method of incorporating photovoltaic modules into various flexible support structures such as tents and canopies. Desirably, the method provides an assembly including photovoltaic modules attached to flexible structural or architectural materials in a durable and weather-resistant manner.